Fiery and molten under its shifting skin, peaceful and vast on the surface of its great lakes, Nicaragua is at once inspiring, frustrating, and as deeply relaxing as a low-slung hammock. Here you’ll find all manner of adventures, be they the kind with vines, monkeys, and machetes, or the type of unsought intercultural epiphanies that brand our souls for life.

  Nicaragua, the black sheep of Central America, is sorely misunderstood in the world. Since disappearing from the headlines in the early 1990s, life in Nicaragua has moved steadily forward, leaving behind in the rest of the world’s minds only the olive-clad images of the war-torn 1980s. But this is not a nation of perpetual crisis! The revolution and ensuing civil war that ended in 1990 now make up one more chapter in the nation’s tumultuous history, and their recent memory adds grit to the reality of today’s Nicaragua.

  Nicaraguans—nearly six million of ’em—are fiercely proud of their heritage. Everything that makes them Nicaraguan—from the geology and history of their land to their poetry and music—distinguishes them from their Central American neighbors. Nicaraguans survive amidst the day-to-day struggle that is life in the Developing World and they do so with a vitality and an ability to enjoy life in a way more prosperous societies seem to have forgotten.

  Nicaragua’s toddler tourism industry continues to stretch and improve, nourished by a recent investment boom and a steady increase in visitors, and it is this freshness that makes touring Nicaragua such a powerful, rewarding, and challenging experience. Canned tourist programs are few and far between, and a trip here means spending time among Nicaraguans, whose charm, strong opinions, and casual hospitality are probably their nation’s greatest attraction. They will show you that there is more to do and see in Nicaragua than you’ll ever have time for—even if you make this your home for several years.

  While Nicaragua has never failed to attract visitors, the majority have been less than traditional tourists—people from all over the world have come here to work, write, study, paint, and volunteer. Increasingly, they are also coming to relax on Nicaragua’s beaches, hike her jungles, float her rivers, and explore her countryside.

  If you are only passing through Nicaragua, you may never know what you missed. But then, if you were merely passing through, you wouldn’t be holding this book in your hands, preparing to immerse yourself deep within this geologically and culturally vibrant landscape.

  Moon Handbooks Nicaragua features abundant destinations where it is entirely possible that the reader will be the only foreign traveler in town. This extraordinary opportunity carries unique cultural (and logistical) challenges. Consequently, this book will be most appreciated by travelers who find this lack of established infrastructure inspiring and exhilarating, rather than a shortcoming. Visitors who rise to Nicaragua’s challenges find themselves changed by the experience.

  So pack a little extra patience and the brightest color film you can find—and welcome to Nicaragua. The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes. The Heart of America.